The Federal Government has moved to enforce compulsory health insurance coverage for workers in Nigeria’s growing app-based transport, food delivery and logistics sectors, directing platform operators to ensure their workers are enrolled in health insurance schemes.
In a directive dated May 15, 2026, obtained by our correspondent on Thursday, the National Health Insurance Authority said the move was in line with the September 2025 presidential directive on the mandatory implementation of health insurance for all Nigerians and legal residents.
The directive, addressed to “All App-Based Transport and Logistics in Nigeria,” stated that the action was backed by the National Health Insurance Authority Act 2022, which makes health insurance compulsory.
According to the NHIA, all location-based transport, food delivery and logistics platforms must ensure that independent contractors and self-employed persons operating on their platforms have access to health insurance coverage.
“The NHIA, in line with the mandate of the NHIA Act, hereby issues a notification to all location-based platforms within the food delivery, app-based transport and logistics sectors to ensure all independent contractors and self-employed persons working on platforms have access to health insurance coverage,” the notice read.
The agency added that compliance with health insurance requirements would become important for obtaining licences, permits and other regulatory approvals.
It warned that failure to comply with health insurance obligations for employers and enrollees would amount to a violation of the NHIA Act 2022.
Concerns Over E-hailing Workers Welfare
The development comes amid growing concerns over the welfare and social protection of gig economy workers in Nigeria, particularly ride-hailing drivers and dispatch riders who often bear healthcare costs personally due to the absence of employer-backed insurance schemes.
Nigeria’s app-based transport and delivery sector has expanded significantly in recent years, driven by rising urbanisation, unemployment and the growth of digital platforms such as Uber, Bolt, food delivery startups and logistics companies.
Many of the workers in the sector operate as independent contractors rather than full-time employees, a classification that has continued to raise debates over labour rights, health protection and access to social security benefits.
The NHIA Act, signed into law in 2022, replaced the National Health Insurance Scheme Act and expanded the Federal Government’s push towards achieving Universal Health Coverage.
Under the law, health insurance is mandatory for every Nigerian and legal resident, while state governments are expected to establish state health insurance schemes to widen access to healthcare services.
Despite the legal framework, millions of Nigerians remain outside formal health insurance coverage, with out-of-pocket spending still accounting for a large percentage of healthcare financing in the country.
